SHAKE-UP: Sony Names Jill Farren Phelps Executive Producer & Josh Griffith Head Writer Of THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS; Wishes Maria Bell Well

Jill Farren Phelps has been named Executive Producer of THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, and Josh Griffith joins the series as Head Writer, it was announced today by Steve Kent, Senior Executive Vice President, U.S. Programming at Sony Pictures Television.

“We are excited to have such a talented daytime veteran leading our team at Y&R, Jill has a stellar record of success in the daytime genre,” said Kent. “We are also happy to welcome Josh back to THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS and are looking forward to his creative input and ideas.”

“On behalf of everyone at Y&R we extend our sincere thanks to Emmy® Award-winning Maria Bell for her contributions to the show over the last five years. We wish her the best of luck and continued success,” he added.

Phelps has been the executive producer of five daytime dramas and two prime time cable dramas: SANTA BARBARA, GUIDING LIGHT, ANOTHER WORLD, ONE LIFE TO LIVE, GENERAL HOSPITAL,the first season of GENERAL HOSPITAL: NIGHT SHIFT and (currently) HOLLYWOOD HEIGHTS, which just wrapped production on its first season. As an executive producer, Phelps has been nominated for 14 Daytime Emmy Awards and has won seven times (1988–1990, 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2012).

Griffith’s writing career includes AS THE WORLD TURNS, ONE LIFE TO LIVE, SANTA BARBARA, SUNSET BEACH, GENERAL HOSPITAL, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS and HOLLYWOOD HEIGHTS. He has received four Emmy Awards and four Writer’s Guild Awards.

I'm not sure which part of this I'm more shocked and surprised about, that JFP somehow got another EP job at a soap, or the stark raving deeeeenial of Maria Bell after hearing of her own exit.

If I had a chance of messing up at 4 1/2 to 5 jobs (depending on how you think she was at Santa Barbara) the way JFP has, there is absolutely no way I'd ever get my foot in the door of another job. Ever. Yet, somehow, she lands on her feet AGAIN.

Maybe it's denial on the part of those hiring her?

Well, there will probably be at least 1 serial-killer storyline or way-over-budget disaster in the works for Genoa City, if past actions are any indication.... not to mention, another >ugh< moment at the Daytime Emmys!!

awtribute, have you watched Hollywood Heights at all this summer. It's not really anyting like what we've seen from JFP before. Sony and Televisa co-produce it so Sony must have seen something they liked that could be applied to Y&R.